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UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – April 26, 2013 – NBC has announced the renewal of five key drama series for the 2013-14 season: “Revolution,” “Chicago Fire,” “Parenthood,” “Grimm” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”

All have been given 22-episode orders.

The announcement was made by Jennifer Salke, president of NBC Entertainment.

“On the verge of our 2013 fall scheduling decisions, we’re pleased to renew five drama series that will be important to our new season line-up,” Salke said. “We’re proud and very appreciative of all of the actors, producers, writers and directors who work so hard to deliver such high-quality work week in and week out. These complex shows represent a broad range of genres and tones, and all of them stand out for us in a television landscape now filled with one-hour series. We’re especially pleased to be renewing “Revolution” and “Chicago Fire” — two first-season successes — and there will be more returning series announcements made in the next couple of weeks.”

“Revolution,” the Monday night drama that centers on a family trying to reunite amidst a worldwide power failure, is executive produced by Eric Kripke, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk (“Lost,” “Star Trek”). The series is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Bad Robot Productions, Kripke Enterprises and Warner Bros. Television.

“Revolution” is the season’s top-rated drama on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox and top-rated new series among those networks in adults 18-49, scoring a 4.6 rating, 12 share and 11.8 million viewers overall in “most current” averages for the season to date. “Revolution” has teamed with “The Voice” to help improve NBC’s Mondays this season versus last by 24 percent in 18-49 (with a 3.6 rating vs. a 2.9).

“Chicago Fire,” from Emmy Award-winning executive producer Dick Wolf and creators Derek Haas and Michael Brandt, goes inside a Windy City firehouse and the lives of those who engage in one of our nation’s noblest professions.

In addition to Wolf, Haas and Brandt, executive producers also include Matt Olmstead, Joe Chappelle, Danielle Gelber and Peter Jankowski. The series is produced by Universal Television and Wolf Films.

“Chicago Fire” has topped its premiere audience of 6.6 million persons a total of eight times this season, and the only other new drama on the broadcast networks to have done it even once this season is NBC’s “Hannibal.” “Chicago Fire” originals have improved the time period versus year-ago results by 24 percent (“live plus same day”).

“Parenthood,” adapted from the 1989 feature film, examines the colorful Braverman family, and all its foibles and triumphs. The series is executive produced by Oscar winners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Frost/Nixon”), Emmy winner Jason Katims (“Friday Night Lights”) and Lawrence Trilling (“Pushing Daisies”). The series is produced by Universal Television and Imagine Entertainment.

“Parenthood” grew this season versus last by 8 percent in adults 18-49 (to a 2.8 rating from a 2.6) and also increased by 8 percent year-to-year in total viewers (7.1 million vs. 6.6 million). This season’s last seven “Parenthood” telecasts beat both the ABC and CBS drama competition in the time period in 18-49.

“Grimm,” inspired by the classic Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales, is a Universal Television and Hazy Mills production. The series was created by Stephen Carpenter, David Greenwalt, Jim Kouf. Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner and Norberto Barba also serve as executive producers along with Greenwalt and Kouf.

“Grimm” is Friday’s #1 series in adults 18-49 and is up versus one year ago by 14 percent in 18-49 rating (with a 2.4 vs. the year-ago 2.1, “most current”) and is up 12 percent in total viewers (6.9 million vs. 5.2 million).

“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” will enter its 15th season for NBC. The series chronicles the life and crimes of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, an elite squad of detectives who investigate sexually based crimes.

“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Television. Dick Wolf is creator and executive producer. Warren Leight, Julie Martin and Peter Jankowski are also executive producers.

“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” originals this season have improved the time period versus year-ago results by 70 percent in adults 18-49 (“live plus same day”) and are building on the time slot’s lead-in by 31 percent in 18-49 and 70 percent in total viewers.

"In a hundred years there'll be a whole new set of people."
"Always poke the bears. They sleep too much for their own good."

All of these shows would compete well at 10 pm. and though I'm behind on most of them we enjoy them.

I know that "Parenthood" probably doesn't have a big following here, but in a post on another thread I said

"Parenthood" is one of the best written, directed, and acted dramas-without-dead-bodies to appear on TV in awhile.

It has covered the angst of early 21st Century family life pretty well. I'm, of course, in the grandparent generation so I relate well to the character played well by Craig T. Nelson, and we have extended family members that seem to incorporate almost all the foibles represented on the show.

"In a hundred years there'll be a whole new set of people."
"Always poke the bears. They sleep too much for their own good."

"Parenthood" is one of the best written, directed, and acted dramas-without-dead-bodies to appear on TV in awhile.

I can see how folks can have this opinion, but I have another. There was a scene a couple of years back where Lauren Graham and Peter Krause, who are two of my favorite actors and who are both immensely talented, were apparently allowed to improvise an argument. Both promptly whiffed, and any producer or director worth their salt would have scrapped or rewritten the scene, but they left it in. Maybe they were swept up by the Curb Your Enthusiasm trend at that moment for improvisation, but Curb proves that improvisation is often inferior to real writing, so even with good intent they missed that mark pretty widely.

And it was a fatal mistake to this viewer; that was the moment that pushed me off the fence, and the last moment of the series that I ever watched.

The cast is the best, and the autism storyline is very compelling, so it was with frustrating mixed emotions that I deleted the next 9 unwatched episodes. I am a fan of many elements of this project; just no longer a loyal fan. But best-written and directed it is not, unless maybe they were just having a bad day. But best-directed and best-written shows just don't have bad days because there are too many best-written and best-directed shows out there to allow a single fumble of that magnitude and still remain in that category. Their inclusion of such a sub-standard scene to me meant that they were probably phoning it in, and I was probably wasting my time. Sorry, but there are too many better shows available where the motivation by the cast and director and producer is to not phone it in, and to make it the best it can be at all costs. I regret that PHood could not consistently reach that high bar.

But I am happy for the fans and for NBC.

Edited by TomCat, 27 April 2013 - 04:19 PM.

It's usually safe to talk honestly and openly with people because they typically are not really listening anyway.

We love Parenthood. Well, "loved," I suppose. They jumped the shark a bit with their January episode that was essentially a paid advertisement for Planned Parenthood.

Sure, abortion seems like just the difficult topic the show would cover, but the way they glossed over it in a single episode, while addressing very little of the emotional toll, was very disappointing.

This is not intended to open a debate about abortion (a debate which couldn't possibly be "won" by either side on a message board like this). Note that I addressed only the way the show handled the topic.

We love Parenthood. Well, "loved," I suppose. They jumped the shark a bit with their January episode that was essentially a paid advertisement for Planned Parenthood.

Sure, abortion seems like just the difficult topic the show would cover, but the way they glossed over it in a single episode, while addressing very little of the emotional toll, was very disappointing.

This is not intended to open a debate about abortion (a debate which couldn't possibly be "won" by either side on a message board like this). Note that I addressed only the way the show handled the topic.

Sounds like they are a bit rusty on the Very Special Episode model from Diff'rent Strokes.

A few seasons ago, Parenthood was supposed to be cancelled. Do you guys remember that?

What I do remember is that it had a hard time getting on the air, and was delayed a half-season or better. The reason was that Maura Tierney was diagnosed with cancer, which she has apparently beaten, praise God. She was replaced with Lauren Graham.

It's usually safe to talk honestly and openly with people because they typically are not really listening anyway.

What I do remember is that it had a hard time getting on the air, and was delayed a half-season or better. The reason was that Maura Tierney was diagnosed with cancer, which she has apparently beaten, praise God. She was replaced with Lauren Graham.

Interesting, I was not aware of that. I imagine it would have been a completely different character from what Graham has become.